Puffin Spotting at Pentireglaze

I think the walk around The Rumps from Pentireglaze NT car park has to be one of my favourite coastal walks. It has the gorgeous scenery, is the right length and difficulty and offers an excellent base to leave the car and get a hot drink. Add to that the spectacular wildlife, and it's a winner.

A couple of months ago I read Hannah Stitfall's book on Cornish wildlife* through the year. I was reminded that puffins have been regular visitors to the island here for years, and this is the right time to spot them if they are around. I don't need much of an excuse to get outside for a day, so charged my camera batteries, packed a couple of scones for lunch and set off.

The island is close to the right hand rump, so I headed here to sit and observe. Another couple were sat nearby and were also watching through their binoculars. I could see some sea birds bobbing around on the sea, but after a while, the lady called to me and pointed out a lone puffin to the right just above an area of sea foam. I managed to zoom in with my camera, and could clearly see the colourful beak but he was too far away for a decent photo. But, I had seen him! We watched him floating around for 15-20 minutes until the Padstow sea safari boat approached and he disappeared from view. We then had a visit from a gannet who flew down to rest on the sea surface for a couple of minutes before flying off again. 

Another walker then spotted a seal in the bay behind us, and there were 3 more seals on the other side of the Rumps when I continued on my walk. I never get tired of seeing these creatures in the wild, but the puffin did really make my day.

The rest of the walk was very pleasant in the sunshine, even Pentire Point was quite calm! 

*Hannah Stitfall's book is entitled Wild Treasures : A Year of Extraordinary Encounters With Cornwall's Wildlife.